Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Brahm Mohindra on Monday issued strict guidelines to the department officers asking them to address any emergency complaint received on the department's 104 helpline within an hour.
Mohindra said that the 104 helpline was started with the motive to address the problems faced by the general public in various government hospitals and to seek suggestions for better implementation of the schemes.
The motive seemed defeated as many of the complaints have not been addressed since long, he added.
Mohindra said that taking serious cognisance of the matter, he has ordered the concerned authorities to address these pending complaints within record time.
“The emergency complaints will now be addressed within an hour on priority basis and departmental action would be taken against the erring officers,” he said.
He said that the 104 helpline control centre has been asked to report to the Director, Health Services immediately in case the district administration does not co-operate in addressing any emergency complaint.
The minister said that now the non-emergency but important complaints would be addressed within two days for which one week was the deadline earlier.
He said that the department has received in total 7,64,047 calls on 104 helpline out of which 4,49,263 calls were related to seeking some information of health facilities and 17,229 calls were actually made to register complaints.
likewise, 50,878 calls were received to take medical advice, 208 calls were suggestions calls, 496 for counseling, 2,01,823 for MCTH, 44,150 for follow-up and only 9,81,297 calls were abandoned.
“Public can also seek information of various health schemes and can get health advice from experts through 104 helpline,” he said.